Deadbat
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2025/26 SUFC SEASON REVIEW / SCHOOL REPORT: Part 8
Summary/Conclusions/Awards
It has been a desperately disappointing season. Not sure anyone, even the most negative Blade (me!) would have has us as low and lose as many games before the season started. I think the worst I saw us finishing was maybe just outside the playoffs. The managerial change did not work. I maintain, a different replacement and maybe it would not have been such a fall off but even if Wilder stayed, with the losses of players and those reported to come in, I think playoffs was the best we would have done. As it turns out, even with Wilder back, it did improve but we saw major limitations of this side. The carryover form last season was still apparent and I do not buy the ‘It’s all down to the mess Selles put us in.’ I think there were issues from Easter last season and these were masked by two decent performances against Bristol City in the playoffs – but there had been a big drop off and the marginal wins were never going to be sustainable.
I have weirdly enjoyed some of the games this season more. We had a run of wins either side of Xmas – mainly at home where we saw bright, exciting attacking football and we were scoring goals aplenty but end talk of a playoff push ended soon after the disastrous day at the Valley. We ended up hugely ill-disciplined again -2nd season running under Wilder this has happened with red cards happening every other week for a period. The level of performances dropped off and the final few months were a hard watch with dull, lifeless showings in the main. It means it is hard to get excited about the future. Some of our better players will have to be sacrificed to make up the shortfall in funds and I am not too pleased about Wilder’s ‘we need older heads’ comments. I worry that we may end up in a similar position league table wise – maybe a bit higher next season and the Wilder for/against fans will continue to bicker. It does feel a bit divisive and wonder if we do need to eventually move on from him and all the baggage around him that we sometimes have. The new manager will always get compared though. He deserves a shot at building another team for next season and will get time to do that but if we sit here next season in a similar position or not much better – we need to make the changes.
However, the bigger issue is not changing anything else around the structure and we are still run like a pub team. That is frightening really and says to me it might be we have to find a new ownership group and it might not be the next manager, but the one after that, or after that, that turns it around and gets us going with a chance of maintaining top level status. We may have to go backwards, to go forwards but there is a real feel of inertia around the club. I think the fans convinced we will be near the top or Wilder will sort it, are basing it on a lot of past stuff and hope, rather than evidence from recent recruitment/tactics. I hope my sense of foreboding is misplaced and that we can kickstart things but the long-term issues are the ones that bother me, more than signing a few old heads that might take us from where we are, to maybe a 7th – 10th finish next season. Not sure that answer anything, unless we win 4 playoff games –and win at Wembley to give us the funds to try and make proper changes. Sadly, we have seen when we have had 2 promotions before, the club, under previous ownership had not been able to invest anything tangible into improving the club for the longer term.
Deadbat’s Awards for 2025/26
Player of the Season: O’Hare (Last season –Cooper)
Runner up: Brooks (Last season – Hamer)
Third: Hamer (Last season – Peck)
Honourable mention – Riedewald
Bamford/McCallum – did not play enough games
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Moment of the season: The Derby Double – sure if Wednesday fans read that, they will say I am obsessed! To beat them twice again in a poor season has to be the highlight and to send them down was delightful – even if they downplayed it.
Worst moment of the season: Despite some bad displays towards the end of the season and some awful performances both at home (Blackburn, Preston) and away (Wrexham, WBA) the nadir was under Selles. The defeat at Ipswich saw us get completely hammered and you felt like we may get relegated. In some ways, it kickstarted us sacking him so suppose it at least made sure did make a change.
Goal of the season: Hamer away at Birmingham in the cup. I enjoyed Peck’s at Leicester and Seriki at home to Stoke. Bamford’s finish at Wrexham (first) showed his class.
Best individual display: Brooks at Millwall was outstanding, as was Seriki v Stoke at the Lane. They were the two 9/10’s I gave in my match reports.
Best team performance of the season: Stoke (H). Had to be one of the home wins. We played well against Ipswich, Leicester and Birmingham but the Stoke performance was superb and we hammered a team that was fairly high up at that stage.
Worst team performance of the season: Ipswich (A). See above. Individually and collectively, an absolute mess.
Most improved player: McCallum. Before his injury – he became surprisingly one of our key men and ousted Burrows out of the team, which I would never have seen before the season.
Unsung hero: Riedewald. Quietly effective and we normally were far better when he played. Adam Davies has never moaned when back up most of the time and did ok when he got his chance, so he deserves a mention.
Biggest disappointment (player): Cooper. He had a poor season after looking like he was on his way to the top. Let in so many poor goals. Burrows and Campbell could both be contenders here sadly.
Best opponent (player) v United: Philogene. Ripped us apart at Portman Road.
Worst opponent (player) v United: Any Wednesday player! No seriously, Jack Robinson was dreadful in both games and so was Luke Thomas for Leicester but there have probably been worse – there was a lad for Watford – Keben I think who looked like he had never kicked a ball.
Signing of the season: Bamford. Shocked me how good he was. A clever footballer and a bit like when we signed McGoldrick and I thought we had just got a journeyman, Bamford showed his brain, experience and ability to find space.
Worst signing of the season: Joint award. Chong/McGuiness/Matos – all signed around deadline day. Their signings represented out awful recruitment in one swift kick in the nads. All had minimal to no impact and we are stuck with them all.
---
Thanks for reading if you managed to stay with it.
Not sure I will be able to do anything as long as this again for future seasons - it might be just a quick summary for players with grades - but we will see!
Have a nice summer
---
Up the Blades!
Twitter - @Deadbat_DB
I have put it on our word press account also so people can view it on there also:
https://tuftyclubsufc.wordpress.com/
Summary/Conclusions/Awards
It has been a desperately disappointing season. Not sure anyone, even the most negative Blade (me!) would have has us as low and lose as many games before the season started. I think the worst I saw us finishing was maybe just outside the playoffs. The managerial change did not work. I maintain, a different replacement and maybe it would not have been such a fall off but even if Wilder stayed, with the losses of players and those reported to come in, I think playoffs was the best we would have done. As it turns out, even with Wilder back, it did improve but we saw major limitations of this side. The carryover form last season was still apparent and I do not buy the ‘It’s all down to the mess Selles put us in.’ I think there were issues from Easter last season and these were masked by two decent performances against Bristol City in the playoffs – but there had been a big drop off and the marginal wins were never going to be sustainable.
I have weirdly enjoyed some of the games this season more. We had a run of wins either side of Xmas – mainly at home where we saw bright, exciting attacking football and we were scoring goals aplenty but end talk of a playoff push ended soon after the disastrous day at the Valley. We ended up hugely ill-disciplined again -2nd season running under Wilder this has happened with red cards happening every other week for a period. The level of performances dropped off and the final few months were a hard watch with dull, lifeless showings in the main. It means it is hard to get excited about the future. Some of our better players will have to be sacrificed to make up the shortfall in funds and I am not too pleased about Wilder’s ‘we need older heads’ comments. I worry that we may end up in a similar position league table wise – maybe a bit higher next season and the Wilder for/against fans will continue to bicker. It does feel a bit divisive and wonder if we do need to eventually move on from him and all the baggage around him that we sometimes have. The new manager will always get compared though. He deserves a shot at building another team for next season and will get time to do that but if we sit here next season in a similar position or not much better – we need to make the changes.
However, the bigger issue is not changing anything else around the structure and we are still run like a pub team. That is frightening really and says to me it might be we have to find a new ownership group and it might not be the next manager, but the one after that, or after that, that turns it around and gets us going with a chance of maintaining top level status. We may have to go backwards, to go forwards but there is a real feel of inertia around the club. I think the fans convinced we will be near the top or Wilder will sort it, are basing it on a lot of past stuff and hope, rather than evidence from recent recruitment/tactics. I hope my sense of foreboding is misplaced and that we can kickstart things but the long-term issues are the ones that bother me, more than signing a few old heads that might take us from where we are, to maybe a 7th – 10th finish next season. Not sure that answer anything, unless we win 4 playoff games –and win at Wembley to give us the funds to try and make proper changes. Sadly, we have seen when we have had 2 promotions before, the club, under previous ownership had not been able to invest anything tangible into improving the club for the longer term.
Deadbat’s Awards for 2025/26
Player of the Season: O’Hare (Last season –Cooper)
Runner up: Brooks (Last season – Hamer)
Third: Hamer (Last season – Peck)
Honourable mention – Riedewald
Bamford/McCallum – did not play enough games
---
Moment of the season: The Derby Double – sure if Wednesday fans read that, they will say I am obsessed! To beat them twice again in a poor season has to be the highlight and to send them down was delightful – even if they downplayed it.
Worst moment of the season: Despite some bad displays towards the end of the season and some awful performances both at home (Blackburn, Preston) and away (Wrexham, WBA) the nadir was under Selles. The defeat at Ipswich saw us get completely hammered and you felt like we may get relegated. In some ways, it kickstarted us sacking him so suppose it at least made sure did make a change.
Goal of the season: Hamer away at Birmingham in the cup. I enjoyed Peck’s at Leicester and Seriki at home to Stoke. Bamford’s finish at Wrexham (first) showed his class.
Best individual display: Brooks at Millwall was outstanding, as was Seriki v Stoke at the Lane. They were the two 9/10’s I gave in my match reports.
Best team performance of the season: Stoke (H). Had to be one of the home wins. We played well against Ipswich, Leicester and Birmingham but the Stoke performance was superb and we hammered a team that was fairly high up at that stage.
Worst team performance of the season: Ipswich (A). See above. Individually and collectively, an absolute mess.
Most improved player: McCallum. Before his injury – he became surprisingly one of our key men and ousted Burrows out of the team, which I would never have seen before the season.
Unsung hero: Riedewald. Quietly effective and we normally were far better when he played. Adam Davies has never moaned when back up most of the time and did ok when he got his chance, so he deserves a mention.
Biggest disappointment (player): Cooper. He had a poor season after looking like he was on his way to the top. Let in so many poor goals. Burrows and Campbell could both be contenders here sadly.
Best opponent (player) v United: Philogene. Ripped us apart at Portman Road.
Worst opponent (player) v United: Any Wednesday player! No seriously, Jack Robinson was dreadful in both games and so was Luke Thomas for Leicester but there have probably been worse – there was a lad for Watford – Keben I think who looked like he had never kicked a ball.
Signing of the season: Bamford. Shocked me how good he was. A clever footballer and a bit like when we signed McGoldrick and I thought we had just got a journeyman, Bamford showed his brain, experience and ability to find space.
Worst signing of the season: Joint award. Chong/McGuiness/Matos – all signed around deadline day. Their signings represented out awful recruitment in one swift kick in the nads. All had minimal to no impact and we are stuck with them all.
---
Thanks for reading if you managed to stay with it.
Not sure I will be able to do anything as long as this again for future seasons - it might be just a quick summary for players with grades - but we will see!
Have a nice summer
---
Up the Blades!
Twitter - @Deadbat_DB
I have put it on our word press account also so people can view it on there also:
https://tuftyclubsufc.wordpress.com/
